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Best / DNS ad blocking

Best open-source DNS ad blocking

The best self-hosted DNS ad blocker in the c17.io catalog is Pi-hole for the well-known sinkhole, AdGuard Home for encrypted DNS in one GPL-3.0 binary, Blocky for a small Apache-2.0 Go proxy, and Technitium DNS Server when you want a fuller GPL-3.0 DNS server. None of these is a VPN — /compare/headscale-vs-netbird.

Open the stackStart on Railway

Ranked picks

  1. 1

    Pi-hole

    EUPL-1.2 network-wide DNS sinkhole. Typically a Raspberry Pi or a small VM.

    When to pick it: The classic homelab DNS hole.

    61,327 stars in the catalog

  2. 2

    AdGuard Home

    GPL-3.0 DNS server with blocking and encryption — /compare/pihole-vs-adguard-home.

    When to pick it: Encrypted DNS plus blocking in one process.

    37,522 stars in the catalog

  3. 3

    Blocky

    Apache-2.0 DNS proxy and ad-blocker for a local network.

    When to pick it: A small Go binary if Pi-hole feels heavy.

    7,041 stars in the catalog

  4. 4

    Technitium DNS Server

    GPL-3.0 DNS server you can self-host, including blocking options.

    When to pick it: A fuller DNS server, not only a sinkhole.

    10,154 stars in the catalog

How they compare

ToolLicenseSelf-hostBest for
Pi-holeEuropean Union Public Licence 1.2EasyThe classic homelab DNS hole.
AdGuard HomeGNU General Public License v3.0EasyEncrypted DNS plus blocking in one process.
BlockyApache License 2.0EasyA small Go binary if Pi-hole feels heavy.
Technitium DNS ServerGNU General Public License v3.0MediumA fuller DNS server, not only a sinkhole.

Related pages

FAQ

Pi-hole or AdGuard Home?
Pi-hole if you want the well-known gravity-list box. AdGuard Home if you want encryption in one binary — /compare/pihole-vs-adguard-home.
Is this a VPN?
No. These are DNS blockers on your network. A mesh VPN is /best/mesh-vpn.
Will every ad disappear?
No. DNS blocking misses ads served from the same hostname as content. Do not invent a block rate.
Does c17 have a Pi-hole stack?
No dedicated stack. The Railway CTA starts a project. Run DNS on a LAN box, not as your only public site.

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